There has been a lot of conversation, many demonstrations, and some riots across the nation in the past few weeks because of the use of deadly force by police. On June 16, Lompoc Police Chief Joseph Mariani provided the Lompoc City Council with a briefing concerning use of force policies in our city.
He began by saying that before an officer can begin a probationary period at the police department he/she must receive 664 hours (16 weeks) of intense police academy training, then another lengthy period under the direct supervision of a qualified training officer in the field before they are qualified to patrol on their own.
Although it only takes a high school diploma or GED to qualify, most officers have advanced degrees in municipal management, police sciences, and other related courses of study. Most have two-year associate degrees prior to attending the police academy.
Chief Mariani explained that the California Penal Code requires “reasonable cause to believe a person has committed a public offense” for an officer to “use objectively reasonable force to make the arrest, prevent escape, or overcome resistance.” This begins with asking questions and rarely ends in a physical confrontation. Of the 15,000 calls for service, between January and June of this year, only 28 required a use of force, and no suspects or officers were injured during these arrests, including SWAT operations.
The chief went on to say that the penal code section dealing with homicide by peace officers is very subjective. Local policies are far more restrictive than those of the penal code. In Lompoc, the section of the 730-page police policy manual dealing with use of force is more than 40 pages in length while the penal code section is only one page.
Training doesn’t end at the academy. The California Commission on Peace Officers Standards and Training requires 12 hours of “perishable skills training” each year. Subjects include arrest and control techniques, tactical or interpersonal communication techniques, and tactical firearms or force option simulators. Firearm qualification, including department policy discussions concerning the use of force is required quarterly.
The controversial “upper body control [choke] hold” was last used in Lompoc 18 years ago. This technique is not a preferred tactic and is equal to the use of a firearm. It appears that in Lompoc the choke hold is rare to the point of extinction since almost all officers weren’t in the police ranks 18 years ago.
Chief Mariani stated emphatically that Lompoc officers “have a duty to intercede if someone is using excessive force,” meaning that if they see an inappropriate use of force they must take direct action to stop it even if it’s their first day on the job.
All use of force incidents are carefully investigated by Lompoc Police Department supervision, internal review boards are conducted when deemed necessary as a result of these reviews, and none have been required in the last two years.
In 2017, a consulting firm reviewed the Lompoc Police Department’s use of force policies and any internal investigations associated with the use of force. This was a proactive investigation and not the result of any citizen complaints or specific incidents.
At the conclusion of the review, the consultants provided 22 recommendations, and 21 have been implemented to date. Only one hasn’t been implemented—providing lieutenant level positions; however these positions require additional funding.
The police department only has “in car video” and does not currently have the funding (about $1 million for hardware and data storage capability) available for body cameras. The officers have no control over how material from their car is transferred to data storage. Officer/citizen confrontations have been reduced since cameras were installed.
There were several speakers during the meeting’s public comment period, and they were almost evenly divided concerning the issue. Some were demanding that police funding be diverted to social services. Others said that defunding the police would be a serious mistake and feared for the safety of their families if the police department’s budget was cut.
One speaker claimed that “police misconduct has been a staple of this town” without offering any examples of such conduct. While everyone’s point of view is welcome and we should honor their right to freedom of speech, much of what had been said about the Lompoc Police Department does not fit what’s happening on the ground!
Another speaker said that there was an organized movement to replace City Council members during the next election. Mayor Jenelle Osborne and other council members encouraged people to get involved in city government either as an appointed commissioner or to run for office.
The council didn’t discuss or take any action on this matter because it wasn’t on the official agenda.
Even though there were a number of unsubstantiated complaints, I think an objective look at Lompoc as a community would establish that there are none of the problems in our city that are experienced in other communities, with the exception of what is in the minds of a few internet agitators.
One person who called in to the council meeting during oral communication read a script that can be found on the internet and really had no connection to the issues we face in Lompoc. As Chief Mariani correctly noted, “We are not Minneapolis.”
Ron Fink writes to the Sun from Lompoc. Send your thoughts, comments, and opinionated letters to letters@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Jul 2-9, 2020.